Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Summary Class 10 Chapter Two by Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
CHAPTER TWO: NELSON MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
SUMMARY
This chapter deals with the black people’s victory from the inhumane policy of apartheid and the inauguration ceremony of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first Black President. “A Long Walk to Freedom” enlightens us about the freedom struggle of the black people against the brutal policy of apartheid, a racial policy practiced by the Whites, which discriminated against the blacks in the social, economic, political, and educational field, depriving them of a healthy environment and equal opportunities.
Mandela talks about the day he was sworn as the President of South Africa, which was attended by dignitaries from around 140 countries in the world. He mentioned his daughter Zenani on the podium, where Dr. Klerk took an oath for the second deputy president, and Thabo Mbeki was sworn in as first deputy president. After them, Mandela took hold of the Constitution and was sworn in as the President of South Africa. Mandela promised that he would never allow the oppression of one community by another, wherein he meant that even the Blacks would never become the oppressors of the Whites and vice versa. He promised a humane society and pledged to revive his community out of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination.
Mandela’s excellence in using words takes the readers to the whole new world of experiencing things written while reading. After the oath ceremony, the army officers, who were earlier into arresting him, were now paying him tributes and were promising him loyalty to keep the values of democracy in South Africa intact through their spectacular show of South African jets and troops over the Union Buildings. The National Anthem was then sung by the people where the Whites sang ‘Nkosi Sikelel –iAfrika’ and the Blacks sang ‘Die Stem,’ the Republic’s old anthem.
There is a mention of the history of apartheid, which was practiced by the Whites against the Blacks in their own country. Apartheid, as Mandela mentioned, had a grieving and a very negative impact on the Black people’s lives. Mandela mentions that this victory of being a President of a society that has got rid of the policy of apartheid is a result of sacrifices of many people, who laid their lives and sacrificed themselves for a society like this, and that he owes everything to them. He was saddened that they were not present there to witness the most precious moment of their lives. The Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the Chief Luthuli’s, the Yusuf Dads, the Bram Fischers, and the Robert Sobukwes are prominent names mentioned by Mandela in the essay. These were the people because of which the struggle became possible. Mandela mentions that these people were the real gems of the country.
Mandela has not even spoken about a dint of hate in his essay, even though being in power over a country and community which oppressed him and destroyed the best years of his life. Still, rather he promotes more love and speaks of humanity. He speaks of a society that would be full of love and compassion. In one of his lines, he mentions the importance of hate, for according to him, it is the hatred that leads to love.
“People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more
naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” According to Mandela, what kept him going was the thought of compassion and kindness that every man has, which might be hidden but never gets extinguished.
The essay’s most impressive part is the way he describes the obligations of the man. The first is towards his family members, and the other is towards his country. He understood well that the way he was free was never actually freedom. With the desire to free his community and country from the traps of oppression and prejudice, he joined the African National Congress. He realized that every moment he lived out of the thought that he was free was an illusion. He fought against every oddity and realized one significant thing: the oppressed and the oppressor needed freedom from inhumanity.
Mandela’s essay teaches you how even in the darkest of time, a man should never forget the best virtues of humanity. Mandela promised a society that would never have the supremacy of neither the Blacks nor the Whites, but a colorful society with values of humanity and democracy.